妈妈的手机课 Mom's Smartphone Lessons

上shàng个gè月yuè回huí老家lǎojiā，我wǒ给gěi妈妈māma上shàng了le三sān节jié手机shǒujī课kè。

Last month I went back to my hometown and gave my mom three smartphone lessons.

第一dì yī节jié教jiāo她tā视频shìpín通话tōnghuà，第二dì èr节jié教jiāo她tā用yòng手机shǒujī付钱fù qián，第三dì sān节jié教jiāo她tā怎么zěnme关掉guāndiào那些nàxiē骗piàn人rén的de广告guǎnggào。

The first lesson taught her video calls, the second taught her to pay by phone, and the third taught her how to close those cheating ads.

说实话shuō shíhuà，前qián两liǎng节jié我wǒ讲jiǎng得de太tài快kuài，心里xīnli也yě没méi什么shénme耐心nàixīn。

To be honest, in the first two lessons I explained things too fast, and inside I did not have much patience either.

她tā记不住jì bu zhù步骤bùzhòu，同tóng一yí个gè问题wèntí问wèn了le四五sì wǔ遍biàn，我wǒ的de语气yǔqì一yí硬yìng，她tā就jiù不bù敢gǎn再zài问wèn了le。

She could not remember the steps and asked the same question four or five times; the moment my tone turned hard, she no longer dared to ask.

那天nà tiān晚上wǎnshang我wǒ看见kànjiàn她tā把bǎ每měi一yí步bù都dōu写xiě在zài了le一yí个gè小xiǎo本子běnzi上shang，字zì很hěn大dà，写xiě得de很hěn认真rènzhēn。

That evening I saw that she had written every single step into a little notebook, in big characters, very carefully.

我wǒ忽然hūrán想起xiǎngqǐ小时候xiǎoshíhou，她tā教jiāo我wǒ写字xiě zì，一yí个gè字zì教jiāo几十jǐshí遍biàn也yě从来cónglái没有méiyǒu生shēng过guo气qì。

I suddenly remembered my childhood: she taught me to write, repeating a single character dozens of times, and never once lost her temper.

第二天dì èr tiān我wǒ把bǎ速度sùdù放慢fàngmàn了le一半yíbàn，她tā反而fǎn'ér学xué得de比bǐ前qián一yì天tiān快kuài。

The next day I slowed down by half, and she actually learned faster than the day before.

走zǒu的de那nà天tiān，她tā给gěi我wǒ发fā了le第一dì yī条tiáo语音yǔyīn：儿子érzi，到dào了le给gěi我wǒ发fā个gè消息xiāoxi。

On the day I left, she sent me her first voice message: Son, message me when you get there.

我们wǒmen总zǒng说shuō父母fùmǔ跟不上gēn bu shàng时代shídài，其实qíshí他们tāmen缺quē的de只是zhǐshì一yí个gè愿意yuànyì慢màn下来xiàlai的de老师lǎoshī。

We always say our parents cannot keep up with the times; in fact, all they lack is a teacher willing to slow down.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

步骤bùzhòustep; procedure

语气yǔqìtone of voice

耐心nàixīnpatience

忽然hūránsuddenly

语音yǔyīnvoice message

通话tōnghuàto talk by phone or video

Grammar note 语法点

把 + object + 写在… — the 把 construction

把 moves the object before the verb to show what is done to it and where it ends up: 她把每一步都写在了本子上。

请把这些照片放在桌子上。 — Please put these photos on the table.

反而 — on the contrary; instead

反而 marks a result opposite to what one expects: 我讲慢了，她反而学得更快。

吃了药，他反而更难受了。 — After taking the medicine, he felt even worse instead.

V不住 / V不上 — potential complements of failure

Inserting 不 between verb and complement says the action cannot succeed: 记不住 (cannot memorize), 跟不上 (cannot keep up).

老师说得太快，我跟不上。 — The teacher speaks too fast; I cannot keep up.

Check yourself 小测验

1. How many phone lessons did the writer give his mother?

2. What did the mother do that evening?

3. What happened after the writer slowed his teaching down by half?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

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妈妈的手机课Māma de shǒujī kèMom's Smartphone Lessons

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 5 reading practice